Esta es una página de muestra para probar la traducción de idiomas.
Pero debo explicarle cómo surgió toda esta idea errónea de condenar el placer y ensalzar el dolor; le ofreceré un relato completo del sistema y expondré las enseñanzas genuinas del gran explorador de la verdad, el artífice de la felicidad humana. Nadie rechaza, detesta o evita el placer en sí mismo —por el mero hecho de ser placer—, sino porque aquellos que no saben buscar el placer de manera racional se topan con consecuencias sumamente dolorosas. Del mismo modo, tampoco existe nadie que ame, persiga o desee experimentar el dolor por sí mismo —por el mero hecho de ser dolor—, sino porque, en ocasiones, se presentan circunstancias en las que el esfuerzo y el sufrimiento pueden procurarle un gran placer. Por poner un ejemplo trivial: ¿quién de nosotros emprende alguna vez un ejercicio físico arduo, salvo para obtener algún beneficio de ello? Pero, ¿quién tiene derecho a reprochar a un hombre que decide disfrutar de un placer que no conlleva consecuencias molestas, o a aquel que evita un dolor que no produce ningún placer ulterior?
Por otra parte, denunciamos con justa indignación y repulsión a aquellos hombres que se dejan seducir y desmoralizar de tal modo por los encantos del placer del momento —y que están tan cegados por el deseo— que son incapaces de prever el dolor y las dificultades que inevitablemente sobrevendrán; y merecen igual reproche aquellos que faltan a su deber por debilidad de voluntad, lo cual equivale a decir que lo hacen por rehuir el esfuerzo y el dolor. Estos casos son perfectamente sencillos y fáciles de distinguir. En un momento de ocio, cuando nuestra facultad de elección se halla libre de trabas y nada nos impide hacer aquello que más nos agrada, todo placer debe ser bienvenido y todo dolor, evitado. Sin embargo, en ciertas circunstancias —y debido a las exigencias del deber o a las obligaciones profesionales— ocurrirá con frecuencia que debamos renunciar a ciertos placeres y aceptar, en su lugar, algunas molestias. Por consiguiente, el hombre sabio se rige siempre en estos asuntos por el siguiente principio de selección: rechaza ciertos placeres para asegurar otros mayores, o bien soporta ciertos dolores para evitar otros peores.
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?
But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?